Hi all! I had planned to leave the Stef/Lena situation where it was with the idea that they'd just make up - but as Guest requested it I have added onto the Reconciliation chapter so that you can read it if you want. I'm afraid I won't be going any further as smut is not something I can write at all well! Hopefully your imagination can do the rest. Right on with the main story...

"Callie? What's up? Why are you not in class?" Lena asked as her newest daughter poked her head around her office door.

"I was sent here." she responded closing the door behind her.

Lena looked slightly confused.

"You were sent here...to my office? For what exactly? Do you need something or...?" Lena wasn't sure Callie had ever been sent to her for behaviour before - she'd only ever got into mild trouble, usually with Kasey for talking.

"I left class to take a phone call." Callie replied, almost proudly taking a seat in front of her. "Sorry." she laughed through a slightly guilty smile.

Lena took a few moments to process

"Wait, wait, wait...you not only took a phone call in class...but you left the room to answer? What could possibly have been then important?" Lena sat back arms folded still not quite believing this was as simple as it sounded.

"Nothing major. I entered a competition for a radio thing a while ago and I figured there was a chance it may be them. I was just a bit bored though really." she looked at her with a slightly guilty smile but frustratingly emotionless making it even harder for Lena to read.

Lena tapped her pen on her desk her mouth slightly open in consideration.

"And you thought what exactly? That no-one would mind?"

"I guess so - but I totally understand if you want to give me detention." Callie commented still not changing her expression.

Lena squinted her eyes. "OK...what's going on? Is this some kind of prank or bet or something with you and Kasey cause I gotta tell you Callie I'm really busy and..."

"It's not, really!" Callie interrupted. "I'm just trying to help speed things up by saying I expect to get a detention." Callie hesitated slightly seeing Lena get more suspicious. "Plus..."

Lena sighed, waiting.

"Jesus has detention with Porter today...I mean...it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have someone there with him...I mean...you know - keep him calm." Callie raised her eyebrows as Lena sat back into her chair lifting one of her own.

"Callie, I know you're protective - but you can't get detention every time Jesus does just to stop him doing something stupid. He'll have to learn how to fend for himself."

"Maybe so - but if Porter was no longer a problem he wouldn't need someone to protect him at all."

Lena opened her mouth to respond but it turned into a deep breath. She feared what Callie might be planning.

"You know Callie it's not going to do Jesus any favours if you two provoke Porter into doing something...he's a spin doctor. Is that what this is all about? You are asking me to give you a detention to try and entrap Porter?"

An innocent look flashed across Callie's face.

"Hey - who said anything about that? Besides, if you gave me a detention to try and entrap Porter then he could turn that around to be a vendetta from you. I did something that naturally I should be in detention for. If Porter does something to my brother worth reporting while I am there it is completely circumstantial. And you know - if you don't give me a detention it would seem a little bit like favouritism don't you think?"

Lena let out a small laugh. "Are you telling me how to do my job, young lady? And I thought you just said you weren't going to try and do anything to him."

"No, I just haven't said that I will." Callie had a determination in her voice that Lena knew was pointless to argue with.

"Well then you better be in detention after school then." She said defeated, pulling out a slip as Callie smiled.

"But Callie..." she warned. "I hope you know what you're doing. Just remember, Porter is smart. Don't do anything that will make things worse for Jesus - or yourself."

Callie smiled. "I'm not scared of bullies, Mom. Too many have got the better of me in the past. They don't any more."

Lena tried to hold back a proud smile having seen Callie's transformation. She had come to them scared and guarded. She had earned and learned trust, albeit with a few ups and downs since she had been with them but finally she had blossomed into a confident and self-assured young lady. It was remarkable and it was all her. Lena realised Callie was looking at her slightly expectantly and she was still to hand her the form.

"Mom?"

"Right - yes. Here." She ripped the slip off and handed it to her. "And this better not happen again. For whatever reason." Lena wasn't too keen on what the kids may be planning but she trusted Callie and she trusted her protective instincts. She also was getting desperate and had tried everything she could to try and protect Jesus without taking him out of classes. If anything, Callie being there would keep Jesus calm. Maybe just proving he could do it once could be enough for the future times. Maybe that's all she meant to do. Be a placebo.

"Oh and I best take your phone...don't want to show favouritism after all" she said with a raised eyebrow and a slight dig at the way Callie had gone about this. Callie sighed and handed it over to her.

"Now go on, back to class." Callie hopped up and headed out. Lena clasped her hands and rubbed her chin with her forefingers. Was it wrong that she hoped Callie would somehow blast him out once and for all? She had fantasised about doing it herself but her position in the school and Porter's flawless knowledge of the system and the rules and regulations had made it impossible.

Outside the detention hall Callie stood and peeked in the window. Porter was slumped back in his chair flicking through papers. She took her bag off her back and slipped off her jumper. Underneath she had a slightly lower cut top than usual. Not quite Mariana standard or anything that would be deemed below school standards - but certainly more revealing than Callie's usual style. She adjusted the fitting of it and grabbed her bag up before wandering into the detention hall. Jesus immediately sat up as she did so.

Porter's eyes opened wide noticing her approach. The clothing was a shock to him - it was the kind of thing he noticed.

"Well look at that. Two Fosters." Porter remarked trying to hide his focus as Callie handed him the slip.

"Guess when you take in so many strays you can't expect them to all get the discipline they need."

"If you say so, Porter." Callie replied remaining neutral as she had learned so easily to do in the face of aversion. She then headed back to take her seat next to Jesus.

Detention passed quite slowly as the two siblings did the work they were assigned. They were both hopped up on adrenaline, especially Jesus and his leg was vibrating furiously. Porter looked up every now and again with some kind of disparaging comment. For the first time ever, Jesus welcomed them.

The bell rang and Porter dismissed the students. Callie and Jesus spent a deliberately long time packing up, waiting until everyone else had left.

Porter sat glaring at them impatiently.

"I'd wonder if your slowness was biological but I guess that can't work in your case."

Callie and Jesus looked across at each other.

"Maybe it's just contagious, Foster. Is your delinquency spreading?"

"Are you seriously insulting my brother right in front of me?" Callie said maintaining a calm tone so as not to sound provocative.

"Come on now Callie - it's just a little patter between Jesus and me."

"Well, I'm not too sure he sees it that way." Jesus looked across at her. He was becoming slightly nervous but he remembered what she had said to him. She was keeping calm and he could too.

"Well listen to that Foster, your big sister fighting your battles for you? Got to say young lady, I'm less and less surprised that your little brother is spending his days skipping around as a fairy. No wonder there's no real men any more if the women are fighting all of their battles."

Callie let out a laugh. "I honestly can't believe you're saying these things?" Callie was genuinely surprised at how easily his venom flowed. "I just don't get it - why pick on your students? What is it they do to deserve it?"

Porter laughed in return.

"Absolutely nothing. Oh unless of course you count the fact I have to spend my days clearing up after you, attempting to get basic common sense into your thick skulls and spend my evening babysitting the worst of you."

"Then why teach?" Callie asked, now almost genuinely intrigued.

"Because here I am." Porter's pause and expression gave away the sadness he was desperately trying to hide. He was miserable. Everyone knew it, it was the only explanation. He had chosen to spend the years taking it out on the kids.

"You've been very quiet Foster, are you drugged up or practicing some kind if hippy calming technique your Mom has taught you?"

Jesus bit his lip. He was hoping Porter wouldn't address him directly. Callie too was slightly nervous. If Jesus overreacted he could blow the whole thing.

"I'm just trying to understand you sir. I thought you'd be tired of the same insults by now." Callie cracked a small smile. Jesus had remained completely calm. It was taking all if his energy but all of the advice they had all been giving him was paying off.

"I'm surprised you're not worried someone will call you out on it" Callie commented taking the heat of Jesus in case he couldn't maintain it for long.

Porter shook his head and got to his feet.

"I wondered when this would come up. You don't think I know what your doing, girl? It's always the same. Some jumped up, wannabe activist comes along finally thinking I need putting in my place and threatens to go running off to Mommy. The thing is my dear what I see is 2 children who are in detention trying to play the system in this victim culture that we have these days. But you see I was brought up in the culture where people learned to fight their own battles - and I will do that. " Porter narrowed his eyes.

"And I will win. I wasn't raised in this slap dash society that families like yours have created, removing the core values of working hard and fighting your way through. We had a father who taught us how to fight, a mother who taught us respect and teachers who were allowed to hit us. So I look forward to the meeting where you try and call me out on all of this - just like every one I've had before. You will say I hurt your feelings or picked on your brother. It will be my word against yours - and although you think two of you bears some weight what I and anyone else will see is the delinquent who has been testing me all year and his big sister trying to cause trouble to protect him. So go ahead. Report it - though I have to say - it's not going to put your Mom in the best light, what with her children in cahoots to try and oust a teacher she has disagreed with. Some on the board, the board I am very tight with, may even sense a hint of ulterior motive." The words flew off his tongue. He was on to them and he had been in this situation many times before. He had it as well thought out and planned as Lena had warned.

Callie and Jesus waited patiently for his speech to finish before Callie took a deep breath. Jesus bit his lip.

"Now - isn't it time you got your pretty young self home before your brother finally cracks that facade he's been attempting throughout this little dance you've been doing."

Callie smiled. "Have a nice evening Mr Porter." She said squinting slightly and tugging lightly on Jesus' sleeve who took one last look back.

"Oh and Callie. You may want to pull your top up. A girl could get herself into trouble tempting folks like that."

Callie made sure she kept a tight hold of Jesus' sleeve as she felt him jerk slightly.

It was over.

Callie and Jesus made their way back home and into the kitchen. They heard their Moms, Kasey and Evan in the kitchen. Kasey was winding Stef up about the correct term for jello and Stef was threatening to make Kasey a peanut butter and jello sandwich. Neither Jesus or Callie could hear the specifics as they were both too eager to share their experience.

"If me calling it that doesn't wind you up any more why are you beating that so hard?" Kasey quipped noting her Mom's furious stirring.

"I'm just practicing for the beating I'll give...oh hey you two! Where you been?" Stef commented noticing Callie and Jesus come in.

"Detention." Lena added with a slightly stern tone.

Stef looked at her slightly shocked.

"Really? What did you do? Study too hard?" She quipped looking at Callie. "And did Mariana dress you this morning?" she commented noticing her attire.

"Oh Callie -" Lena looked at her concerned, suddenly nervous about what her plan had been to provoke Porter.

"Am I missing something?" Stef looked between the two faces with even more confusion while pouring her pudding mix into an oven pan.

"Well?" Lena prompted, fearing the worst.

"I wanted to catch Porter out for picking on Jesus so I got a detention." She admitted calmly.

"Woah - you're trying to get Porter fired? Not that I'm not number one champion for that but wanna induce the wrath of Brandon much?" Kasey commented dipping her finger in the now empty bowl Stef had previously been mixing in before Stef clipped her hand with the wooden spoon.

"Well, actually it was Michelle that suggested it. That family has issues." Callie added as an aside to Kasey as Stef threw her a reprimanding look.

"Callie - we talked about this. If you provoke him it doesn't work. He's turned that against every kid who's ever tried it."

"We didn't provoke him!" Jesus responded. "We just let him rant."

Stef squinted at them, still not entirely sure what was going on.

"But it's still your word against his...students never win those things." Evan sighed, recollecting his own experience in that situation all too well.

"We know. That's why I took this in." Callie reached her hand down into her cleavage and produced a small silver recorder. Jude's Dictaphone.

A beam crept across Kasey's face which soon turned into a laugh.

Lena grabbed the small recorder.

"I'd wonder if your slowness was biological but I guess that can't work in your case." it rang out as she pressed play. She pressed forward. "You've been very quiet Foster, are you drugged up or practicing some kind of hippy calming technique your Mom has taught you?"

"Oh you beautiful girl!" Stef exclaimed running forward and pulling Callie's head to her lips to smother her with kisses.

"You didn't provoke him at all?!" Lena clarified getting more excited as she skipped through further. "I wasn't raised in this slap dash society that families like yours have created, removing the core values of working hard and fighting your way through. We had a father who taught us how to fight, a mother who taught us respect and teachers who were allowed to hit us."

"What an obnoxious bastard..." Evan commented as Lena scolded him with a look for his language.

"Core values? My ass." Stef added without even thinking.

"Stef!" Lena reprimanded but still unable to lose her smile. Jesus had just stood there smiling, embalmed in a cool sense of relief.

"But wait - Callie you can't just record teachers and use it as evidence. It's underhand - Porter will wriggle out somehow because of entrapment."

"Oh I know - but see it just so happens the prior twenty minutes are me rehearsing lines with Jude during my free. I only went and forgot to press stop in a fluster at forgetting I had detention." She couldn't help suppress the grin unfolding.

"Well - " Lena smiled, finally allowed herself to stop trying to find the holes in the plan. "I guess I better call a meeting..."

Will Porter get his comeuppance? Would love to know what you think/thought (of this and the bonus in previous chapter if you liked it...)

Chapter 31 Preview: Lena has an impact on Michelle and Porter has a meeting with Karina and Lena

Karina's voice grew further agitated.

"Porter, I strongly - strongly recommend you adjust your attitude. Let me make this clear. This is not good."

He stuttered slightly. Something wasn't right here...